BOTM, 6/05: Knob Creek

Dane,

My first bottle was dificult to open as you described, but the one I bourght a couple weeks ago opened effortlessly. I think they changed the formulation of the "wax" seal"

There were 12 bottles of 62 year old Dalmore bottled. One was kept by the distillery, one was auctioned for charity, afaik one was sampled and 9 were available for sale. You can buy one here if you want.

I truely envy you for that once in a life time tasting. However, I've sampled the 50 year old so I can at least guess what the 62 may be like.

Knob used to be my favorate pour until I found Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 107. I love the wheat bourbons. My favorate for the price is Old Weller Antique 107. For $20, it cant be beat and ORVW 10yr 107 is great for $28. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/toast.gif

I've just had a shot of Knob Creek. It's good but a little "corporate"-tasting in my view, a little too bland. It has almost no smell or taste of charred wood, which comes as something of a surprise considering its years in new charred oak. I wonder if that palletized warehousing may be dumbing down the product a bit. Certainly a good whiskey but not what I recall when originally issued.

Gary

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in my view, a little too bland

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Indeed, even if you take into account the fact that palates become hardened over the years, you simply cannot escape the fact that KC, very much like the famous Scotch Talisker has been blanded down in recent years.

KC was one of the first premium bourbons that I tried and one of the characteristics that almost instantly appealed to me was that spicy attack that refused to leave the tastebuds alone and contributed to its complexity. Of this, only a faint echo can be noted in my current bottle.

The case for the defence : it is certainly one of the most refined bourbons out there. IMHO, only Hirsch and 20yo Pappy rank higher within this special field. Apart from this I have to say that the nose has improved dramatically. The first bottles I had around 5-6 years ago came with a beautiful fruity scent which unfortunately disappeared after only 30 seconds or so, leaving only a dry, sawdusty and decidedly uninspiring smell. Nowadays longevity thankfully rules and you can catch a number of scents like cinnamon, fruit, honey, peppers etc.

Final verdict : a highly sophisticated bourbon perhaps lacking a little in terms of individuality. I prefer Booker´s and Baker´s but all three are mandatory for the true bourbon aficionado.

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Knob used to be my favorate pour until I found Old Rip Van Winkle 10yr 107. I love the wheat bourbons. My favorate for the price is Old Weller Antique 107. For $20, it cant be beat and ORVW 10yr 107 is great for $28. http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/toast.gif

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Weller Antique is my favorite too. Soooo much caramel flavor......yummmmm.

As for KC, I think it is a bit dry, but still pleaseant, with the characteristic maple flavor. I like Booker's and Baker's better, tho.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forum...lins/toast.gif

I'd not had Knob Creek since a tasting event with Fred Noe last November. Retasting it last night made me realize I don't miss it. It's okay bourbon -- but I've got plenty of those. I am put off up front by the burnt caramel taste that strikes me. I like caramel a lot, just not burnt. After it sat in the glass, the burnt sensation wore off for me, and after 20 minutes it was a pleasant drink, with the basic maple and vanilla undertones to the caramel. But there aren't too many occasions when I'm going to pour a drink and the let it sit for 20 minutes before sipping.

I opened my new bottle of Knob Creek last night while watching a Grateful Dead special/movie on public television. Talk about memories!

First, the pull tab on the black wax cap cover worked, perfectly. They have obviously put some effort into fixing that old problem.

The initial aroma was almost nothing but alcohol, with a touch of sweetness. Maybe a hint of vanilla. After I had finished the drink, I detected a fairly pronounced maple syrup aroma in the glass. But this was a bit too late to be meaningful. Maybe my nose was off, last night.

I agree wholeheartedly with what a couple of others have said in this thread. This was basically a decent drink, probably more refined than the KC of two or three years ago. But, I really missed the old balls-to-the-wall rye spice attack I used to get from KC.

In old postings, I remember saying KC would be the perfect bourbon if you were in a cozy lodge out in the forest on a cold winter night. That thought would never come to mind with this current bottling. It is much better than "bland", but not close to what it used to be.

KC used to be my favorite of the Beam Small Batch Collection. Two years ago I would have rated Booker's second and Baker's third. Now, I don't know how I would rate them because I wonder if the others have changed as much as KC?

Also, KC is quite expensive, here. I am glad to have gone back and tried it again for this thread, but I wish I had my $32 (plus sales tax) back. It is certainly not very good for that kind of money.

Tim

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...Also, KC is quite expensive, here. I am glad to have gone back and tried it again for this thread, but I wish I had my $32 (plus sales tax) back. It is certainly not very good for that kind of money...

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Ah, yes -- I failed to mention that, too! I shake my head when you guys report it's 'on sale' for under $20. I don't think I've ever seen it in Middle Tennessee under $27, and you can add 9.25% sales tax to that. Usually, it closer to $30, sometimes higher. As Tim notes, it doesn't stand out in that price category.

Just inside the front door at Lukas Liquor Superstore in Manchester MO is a HUGE display of KC for 19.99. Has been there at that price for as long as I remember. They either keep it filled to the brim or it goes untouched, I can't tell as I only get there about once a month. They have good prices on what they have in bourbons but that's not a whole lot more than the basics.